Hi Steam Traction World family. Just registered and will try and post some photos of my progress so far. I was bitten by the model engineering bug approx. 10 years ago but had very little workshop experience apart from making wooden toys for my kids. With the help of some wonderful and patient mentors through the Tauranga Model engineering club I managed to complete an Allchin traction engine with the castings being supplied by Reeves. The attention to detail on my Allchin may well prove to be my undoing on my showman. With Traction engines being my focus I started looking for another project. Having purchased a second hand 3" scale Burrell it performed perfectly ok but it became obvious that an engine in 4" scale was the only option if I wanted to muck around on the rally field .The task of re-equipping my workshop to cope with a 4" scale project was going to be expensive and require extra space. Working full time and with all the other challenges on my time from family it was going to be a challenge to fit in sufficient time in my workshop to do justice to complete a 4" scale project from the plans with raw castings etc . Phil (kiwi connection) put me onto STW and the rest is history. Submitters have often expounded the virtues of Dean, Steve and the rest of the team at STW.I can only endorse these comments and then some with all the extra work involved for boiler compliance by the authorities in New Zealand. The powers that be in NZ eventually realised that the English have been building boilers for a little longer than one of the commonwealths most southern territories and full compliance has been achieved. My kit arrived before Christmas and I will try and post some photos of my progress so far.

G'day mate, its about time we saw you on the forum. Lets get some photo's on line so that I can see your progress as I have been stuck in the UK since January. I will be visiting Dean, Steve and Isabel in the not to distant future to make the final payments for my RL kit and get it all shipped to NZ:) . Should be back home by the end of August:cheers: .

Hi Phil,Good to hear that you will be returning soon and by the look of the summer you have been having you might even have a suntan. Having difficulty downloading my photos.Will have one of my kids help this evening.Cheers Shane.